The foods that fool well-meaning parents

Parents can save calories and cash if they read the labels on the "healthy foods" they are feeding their children.

AMY LEAP

Parents can save calories and cash if they read the labels on the "healthy foods" they are feeding their children.

Just because it is labeled reduced-fat doesn't mean it is healthy for you.

"Foods need sugar, fat and salt, and if you take away one of those things, you need more of the other two ingredients to taste good. If it has less sugar, then chances are it has added salt and fat," said Paula Schott, a registered dietitian and clinical nutrition manager at Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg.

"Often you pay more for the so-called healthier version, so make sure you get what you pay for by reading the label," she said.

For example, those sugary presweetened cereals — now made with whole grains — lead parents to believe the cereal is a healthy choice, according to Schott.

Any health benefit from the whole grain is outweighed by the large quantities of sugar in the cereal, she said.

Schott isn't saying all cereals are a bad choice, just the presweetened kind.

You have to keep in mind the companies pay marketing experts big bucks to package and market products to make them attractive to parents, according to consumerreports.org.

Feeding your child a banana muffin for breakfast sounds so much healthier than a piece of banana cake, but there is really very little difference.

"The muffin is just a glorified piece of cake," she said.

Proof of the power of marketing: Sweet potato fries have become popular and are widely touted as a healthier alternative to french fries. True, eating sweet potato fries does sound more wholesome than traditional french fries, but they aren't.

Feeding your children sweet potato fries will give them vitamin A and slightly more fiber than white potatoes, but simply swapping french fries for sweet potato fries does not necessarily make a healthier meal — both are deep-fried.

Consumer Reports' test kitchen results showed a 3-ounce serving of a popular brand of sweet potato fries had 7 grams of fat and 6 grams of sugars. The same size serving of french fries had 3 grams of fat and 0 grams of sugars.

One thing parents can do, Schott said, is to keep the refrigerator stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat them plain, not with a dip or sauce.

"Teach them it is possible to eat fruits and vegetables without first dipping them in something," she said.

Also, if your family only eats white bread, try switching to either a white whole wheat or a smart white bread. The change in taste and texture is not as drastic as replacing your white bread with a whole wheat.

Schott noted that recently the U.S. Department of Agriculture added children's dietary guidelines on choosemyplate.gov. Parents can find nutritional guidance.

"Although it seems like a lot of work, once you get used to reading labels and checking ingredients, you will find it is worthwhile," Schott said.